Balancing Evidence and Authenticity in Research on Experiential Education and Youth Development in Diverse Settings

Seaman, Jayson

Journal of Experiential Education, v31 n3 p425-430 Mar 2009

Even though these papers represent radically different types of research in different environments and with diverse populations, I think they are appropriately grouped under the theme of "experiential education and youth development in diverse settings." In their own way, each of them deals with the role of experiential education in mitigating the effects of social and historical forces on groups that have been marginalized within (or by) schooling. This is an understated feature of these projects that becomes pronounced when viewed side by side. This shared feature has framed my interpretation of these papers. Individually, they demonstrate the results of experiential programs in different settings and with diverse populations. However, I think their contribution is greatest when considered together--not just in what they communicate about program outcomes, but what they capture about experiential education research in its current historical moment. This might be described as a tension between evidence, on the one hand, and authenticity, on the other. I'll elaborate on this first by addressing each individual paper, then by discussing their joint contribution to research on experiential education and youth development in diverse settings.